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Greenbushes Soda Loaf



I feel very privileged to have inherited a copy of this amazing tome of Australian publishing and indeed feminism.

My Grandmother was married at 8am on Monday 6th June 1921 in the little South West town of Greenbushes.  It was a double wedding with her older sister not only being married the same day but also engaged on the same day earlier in the year.

Some of the measurements are quite difficult to follow with terms such as a gill, quart, pint and a wineglass (I like that one) used.  Rather than temperatures in Farenheit or Celcius, cooking directions are for a hot or quick oven, a slow oven, and sometimes to leave on the hob.  Gas and electric stoves were not common, and everyone had a wood stove.  

Adverts are for some familiar stores and products including Milk Arrowroot biscuits and Nestle milk.

As difficult as some recipes are, and as heartfelt the post World War I sentiments in certain adverts I love the recipes and still use many of them now as a standby.

One of my favourites is Soda Loaf.  Forget the packet of garlic bread from the back of the freezer, this one is quick, easy and absolutely yummy.  I've given some slightly more technical details to the recipe but I'm giving it first as written.  Enjoy.

"Take 3 cupsful flour, 3 teaspoonsful cream of tartar, 1.5 teaspoonsful soda, pinch of salt, 1 dessertspoonful sugar, 1 dessertspoonful melted butter, cup of milk.  Mix flour, cream of tartar, salt, sugar well together, dissolve soda in milk and add melted butter, then add to flour, etc; knead well and bake in moderate oven."

The ingredients really need no translation to modern language.  Regardless of whether it is an imperial, tea or metric cup, the ratios will be the same which is what really matters.  The soda is bicarbonate of soda as at this stage Self Raising flour was not invented.  I have substituted SR flour but it is not quite the same as using the old style ingredients and becomes a little cake like.

It is interesting that as everyone had a background in cooking, the method is very simple and assumes we all know how to do these things, and to prepare a tray properly etc.  I use baking paper rather than greasing the tray and it works fine.  

A Moderate oven is 180 degrees Celcius, and I usually cook it for half an hour, but if I'm in a rush I split into rolls and bake them for 15 - 20 instead.

Dobre jedlo (Good Eating in Slovak)
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